Craft Beer Mixed Drinks
Intro
It’s 2020, I need a drink. Many of us who have sheltered in place watching the world have more than likely said the same thing. Those fighting on the front line of both issues have as well and sometimes that beer isn’t going to be enough. I have this year discovered a love for mixed drinks and the subtle nuances of mixing the perfect drink. Since this interest has bloomed, so has my interest in merging craft beer and mixed drinks, something which many say is taboo. Craft Beer enthusiasts will say to keep the craft beer pure, it was hand crafted and is perfect, get that extra alcohol and fixings out of here. The mixologists and cocktail fans will say to get that nasty beer out of their fancy whiskeys and perfectly mixed ingredients in their drinks. There is a very clear line between the mixed drink group and beer group where the only agreeable convergence I have seen is the Bulldog Margarita (margarita with a mexican beer poured in) and the Michelada (mexican beer with tomato juice and stuff, think a beer bloody mary). I thought if these are cool, why can't a Gin Shandy be? I then took it upon myself to do research into utilizing craft beers in mixed drinks, not just to force a beer into a drink, but to put a beer into a drink that complements and maybe improves upon a drink. It is hard work, but somebody had to do it. You are welcome.
First I began my dive into mixed drinks as I am already an avid fan of craft beer and knowledgeable enough. I found alcohol I liked, and I implore you do the same. I wanted to find a whiskey (I found a few I love) a gin and some mixers I prefer (lime, simple syrup, bitters) and get to mixing. Now, I want to be clear, the knowledge and knowhow I gained came mainly from the genius that is Greg from How to Drink on YouTube. Go search for him and enjoy his videos on mixed drinks. He’s awesome and I am a big fan. He will help you find some mixed drinks you may want to try before paying for any alcohol and perhaps wasting money on things you won’t like. He makes how-to guides on how to make drinks, then tastes them to explain what the drink is. Without him, this process would have taken much much longer and I would have lost far more brain cells. For my ingredients I will use in all my craft beer drinks I use, see the list below that includes why I chose them.
Stuff I use
Aviation Gin and/or Aviation Gin Old Tom. I used Aviation after reading reviews and because 30% of proceeds went to out of work bartenders and those affected by the pandemic shutting down many service restaurants. The regular Aviation Gin is a clean gin that tastes great on its own, which I had never found with a gin before. It lends itself to a clean drink and I encourage you mix citrus with it when possible. The Old Tom variant is a little sweeter and I started to use it when I moved to mixing beer into the drinks, and because the regular was sold out.
Bulleit Rye Whiskey. I use this as my rye whiskey mainly because it’s everywhere, I love Bulleit Bourbon, and it goes well in a whiskey sour and an old fashioned.
Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey. I use this as my Irish whiskey for sentimental reasons I won’t dive into now, but if you want to make the best possible Irish Coffee I implore you to use this whiskey and DO NOT USE BAILEYS AT ALL FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON’T. Thank you.
Four Roses Bourbon. I use this as my bourbon because it’s widely available, not too expensive, tastes great in a whiskey sour and an old fashioned and is as Kentucky as you can get in my opinion. It used to be the whiskey of the Kentucky Derby for a long time and I like it, okay? Why do I feel like I am defending the whiskey? I was using Bulleit Bourbon which is also great but four roses is just a bit better in my opinion.
Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liquor. I just hate all coffee liquors and this one is the least bad.
Angostura Bitters. These bitters are my favorite and will be in many drinks I make.
Peychaud’s Bitters. My other go-to bitters, they are good but not my favorite as they have more of a cherry flavor to me, but when used in the right drink can elevate it.
Smirnoff Vodka. Because vodka is vodka and this is what I use when I cook something in a vodka sauce.
Simple Syrup/Demerara Simple Syrup. Make your own! I do half sugar, half water heated until combined, then bottle. Demerara is my favorite sugar to use and adds a slight bit of depth to all drinks it is added to.
Limes/Lemons. You NEED these for whiskey sours and any gin drink I think. The acidity just plays so well with the sweetness in many drinks and with the alcohol.
Egg Whites. Yes, egg whites for a better mouth feel on your whiskey sours and to make a tasty Gin Fizz. Of course you can omit the egg white from a drink calling for it, just know that it is in many cases a mistake. But you live your life - I can't do that for you.
My favorite mixed drinks to make at home
Before I explain the craft beer cocktails I found the most enjoyable, I want to briefly go over the mixed drinks I found myself liking most. Before I found the above liquors I was sure I would never be a fan of an Old Fashioned but I can say I am now, at least a modified old fashioned because I hate cherries. My Old Fashioned is the following:
2 oz Rye Whiskey or Bourbon of choice
1 oz simple syrup (Sugar cubes are traditional but I prefer my sugar dissolved)
2 dashes bitters of choice
Pour over a large ice cube (or don’t)
1 orange peel, being sure to squeeze out any oils it may contain before dropping in
That is the Old Fashioned I came to love. I tried making a craft beer variant but found it didn’t lend itself so well in the mix. The Old Fashioned in the end defeated my attempts to craft beerify it.
Next the drink I found myself making a whole lot was one I am not sure the official name of, so I call it the Gin Ginger. It is:
2 oz Gin of choice
1 oz lemon or lime juice (lime is preferred)
½ oz simple syrup (not required, only if you like sweeter things)
Shake over ice
Pour into a glass and top with desired amount of Ginger Beer, usually 4 oz and wedge of citrus
This drink is simple yet delicious. I highly recommend finding a quality Ginger Beer as it will be a big flavor component. I use Fever Tree whenever I can get my hands on it. Now, this one I change a bit to make two beer versions. First is the shandy approach.
3 oz Gin of choice
2 oz lemon juice (not lime)
½ oz simple (preference, I usually omit this
Shake over ice
Pour into cup with 4 oz pale ale of choice, I used Sierra Nevada’s 40th anniversary ale and it was delightful.
This drink is a summer drink through and through. To make it a little different, for the final step only add beer foam from a strong IPA to float on top. It will be a stronger smaller drink that requires a garnish of citrus.
Next is the Irish Coffee. This drink is a family favorite and I have a strong opinion for how it should be made. Here is how to make an Irish coffee.
2 oz Irish whiskey
2 sugar cubes
6 oz fresh coffee
Pour in glass
Top with fresh made whipped cream unsweetened.
THAT IS IT! STOP THERE! I can not stand Baileys in Irish Coffee personally. It ruins it. Now I made this a couple times with craft beer because it was tricky. I ended up with the following:
2 oz Irish whiskey
1 oz coffee liquor
1/2 oz simple syrup
Stir together in a glass and pour 4 oz stout on top. A coffee stout is preferred but I used Old Rasputin.
I tried using whipped cream on top but was not a fan. Since the liquid isn’t hot, the foam sits on top and doesn’t incorporate as well as a real Irish Coffee. But you can try if you want, even add a half oz cream if you feel like it.
My final favorite drink, which is my favorite by far, is the whiskey sour. This drink is amazing, simply incredible.
2 oz Rye Whiskey or Bourbon
1 oz lemon or lime juice (i prefer lemon)
1 oz simple syrup
1 egg white
Dry shake (shaking without ice emulsifies the egg white in the presence of the citrus juice making a foam and changes the drink texture)
Add ice and shake
Pour into a glass and top with two dashes of Angostura bitters (Peychaud’s bitters are more traditional from what I understand. I just prefer Angostura).
There you have a delicious drink. You can omit the egg white and dry shake steps and still come out with a great drink. I just prefer the texture it lends. To craft beerify this drink see the following recipe:
2 oz Rye Whiskey or Bourbon
1 oz lemon or lime juice (use whichever goes best with the beer you choose)
1 oz simple syrup (honestly, this depends on the beer as well. If your sour beer is sweeter, you can omit this)
1 egg white
Dry shake
Add ice and shake
Pour into glass
Float 2 oz sour beer of choice
I did this with a key lime sour by New Glory and it was delicious. Because of that I used lime when usually I use lemon in my whiskey sours. If you use a sour that is either not fruit specific or is anything other than lime, I would use lemon.
Some thoughts
Now to explain my thinking behind all these drinks. It was very important to let the drink they are based on shine while allowing the craft beer to add another level rather than subtract. The beer is meant to complement the drink.
I want to make a drink that uses scotch but didn’t get around to it this time. I will be updating with more drinks on social media when I think of them. My idea on how to use scotch would be a sort of scotch highball, one oz scotch to 8 oz of a beer. I would think a pilsner but again, I need to test this still. I also don’t have a tequila or vodka drink as they are liquors I still don’t like as much. I want to try a margarita riff with perhaps a sour beer and a vodka cranberry beer drink as well with a sour or IPA. Again, if I figure these out I will update social media. If you have any idea on how to make a craft beer drink please reach out to me.
But there it is, four different craft beer cocktails, I will list them below with names I made up for them:
All Craft Beer Mixed Drinks I came up with
Gin and Beer Shandy
3 oz Gin of choice
2 oz lemon juice (not lime)
½ oz simple (preference, I usually omit this)
Shake over ice
Pour into cup with 4 oz pale ale of choice, I used Sierra Nevada’s 40th Anniversary Ale and it was delightful.
Gin Foam
3 oz Gin of choice
2 oz lemon juice (not lime)
½ oz simple syrup (preference, I usually omit this)
Shake over ice
Pour and float with IPA beer foam
Irish Brew
2 oz Irish whiskey
1 oz coffee liquor
1/2 oz simple syrup
Stir together in a glass and pour 4 oz stout on top. A coffee stout preferred but I used Old Rasputin.
Whiskey Sour Beer
2 oz Rye Whiskey or Bourbon
1 oz lemon or lime juice (use whichever goes best with the beer you choose)
1 oz simple syrup (honestly, this depends on the beer as well. If your sour beer is sweeter, you can omit this)
1 egg white
Dry shake
Add ice and shake
Pour into glass
Float 2 oz sour beer of choice
The names may not be amazing, but they taste great. If you try one be sure to let me know on social media. A podcast episode on these drinks will be up around the same time where I dive a little deeper into my thought process on these drinks and mixed drinks in general.
